Spellbound
by Pysche
Summary: COMPLETE After Bakura's vindictive spell, Yami is granted a body of his own- but only for a short time. Now Seto Kaiba is the only one who can help Yami keep the gift he didn't know he wanted. SetoYami
1. Default Chapter

Hi everyone, this is my first fanfic, so I hope you like it. The story is finished, and I can update as much as you want; just tell me in your review how often you think I should post.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 1

I paced slowly across the thick carpet, watching my feet as I contemplated. Why did he help me? Even after the terrible way I treated him and his idiotic friends, he kept trying to help me, to let me know I was his friend... Although I certainly didn't need his assistance, and _definitely_ didn't want his friendship.

Sure. Kaiba, you're getting worse at lying to yourself.

Well, in a way it really was true. I couldn't understand him, and being near something I didn't understand made me uneasy. One of the unfortunate side effects of being a genius, I suppose. But still...the same mystery that made me so leery at the same time drew me to him irresistibly. He saved me, time and again- at Duelist's Kingdom, in my virtual game, in Noa's World; and each time he never expected anything in return, not even my gratitude.

But I think he knows that I gave it to him anyway.

And I had tried to repay my debt. Pacing the office floor, I remembered the way I had rushed to the top of my duel tower at Alcatraz, praying that he hadn't begun his final duel- the one that might cost him his life. How could I have even considered leaving him to his fate? Was I really that bitter over my loss? In my heart, I had always known that he would beat me in our duel; I was his rival, but never quite his equal.

Using every inch of my height, I managed to reach the top of the tower just as he climbed to his duel station. He faced the psychopath before him with his cool, proud gaze, not a trace of fear on his lithe form. I came to a halt just below him and withdrew my Devil's Sanctuary from its place in my deck.

"Yugi," I called, and he turned his confident scarlet gaze in my direction, raising an eyebrow slightly. "I have something you need before you start this duel. It could save you, if you have the sense to figure out how to use it," I continued in my usual harsh tone, and tossed him the card.

He caught it and shuffled it into his deck without even glancing at the card I had given him, ignoring the protests of the mutt and his other cheerleader friends. His crimson eyes met my blue ones, and he nodded imperceptibly. "Kaiba, you and I may not always agree, but I still trust you," he said.

I never forgot those words. After he beat Marik, as I had known he would, Yugi and I parted ways. I went to build Kaiba Land and he did whatever he does with those losers he calls friends, but I always expected us to meet again. Just not like this.

This morning, my little brother Mokuba had come running into my bedroom, grinning like a loon. "Seto, Seto, guess what?" he chirped. I smiled; Mokuba was thirteen now, but he still acted like a little kid sometimes.

"What is it, Mokuba?" I asked patiently.

"They're all coming to the Kaiba Land grand opening tomorrow! I invited them, and they're _all_ coming!" he shouted.

"Who?"

"Yugi-tachi!" he responded happily. I blanched. I hadn't seen him for almost two years, and now the first impression he would get of me would be the opening of my newest creation. What would he think of it? Wait, why should that even matter?

"Yugi's coming?" I asked neutrally. "Well, it should be interesting to see him again."

"Yeah, and you know what? That Sennen Puzzle thing, that made it so Yugi and a spirit shared one body, well it split or something, so now little Yugi and the _other_ Yugi are two people. Don't ask me how; it's pretty complicated," Mokuba said.

"Mokuba, you know I don't believe that nonsense," I replied, shaking my head. I paused, however, remembering that last duel at Alcatraz. There _were_ two Yugis then; the little one, trapped in the shadows, and the _other_ one. The other Yugi. He was the one who dueled Marik; the one who said he trusted me. He was the one I....

"Well, you'll see for yourself tomorrow," Mokuba said sulkily, interrupting my thoughts.

He had left after that, and the rest of the day those words were all I could think of. He was coming tomorrow. The _other_ Yugi. I didn't want to see him; didn't want to remember how he helped me without hesitation, and trusted me when I had never shown him anything but hostility. But most of all, I didn't want to look into those crimson eyes again.

Because if I did, I would know that I still hadn't repaid my debt. And that I probably never could.

The next morning dawned clear and bright, and the sun shone cheerily through the curtains into my sleepless, bloodshot eyes. I cursed myself mentally for worrying so much over an old rival, and finally managed to push the thoughts of Yugi from my exhausted mind in the hustle of fixing last-minute problems before the grand opening.

At promptly 10:00, Mokuba bounded into my office, bouncing on his heels in excitement, and dragged me outside to greet the first camera crews. I reluctantly left the technical work to my subordinates, and straightened my long coat as cameras zoomed in on me.

"Welcome to the grand opening of Kaiba Land. This project has been the greater part of my work at KaibaCorp for the last two years, and I hope that you all enjoy it. I believe that's all there is to say, so go on inside," I told the reporters briefly, nodding at the security guards. They unlocked the gates, and hordes of chattering people flooded into my amusement park.

I watched them with my cool, neutral gaze, trying not to let my excitement show. Truthfully, I felt like bouncing on my heels just as much as Mokuba. I would probably trip over my coat if I tried, however.

"Congratulations, Kaiba," said a deep, confident voice from directly behind me. My eyes widened slightly in recognition and I slowly turned, lowering my cool gaze to scarlet eyes.

"Yugi," I nodded curtly. "Where are the rest of your followers?"

He laughed. "Only you would think of them as my followers. And it's Yami these days," he added.

"Yami? Why?" I asked, a little confused.

"Since Yugi and I are two people, we can't really use the same name, can we?" he replied, still sounding amused.

"Not that Necklace nonsense again," I groaned. "Why don't you just go join your _friends_?"

"It's _Puzzle_, and I will. I just wanted to give you something," Yugi-wait, I mean Yami-said, and handed me a Duel Monsters card. I looked at it and shook my head, backing away as my heart thumped loudly.

It was the Devil's Sanctuary.

"Yugi, no. I gave that to you. It was the only way I could repay..." I trailed off, realizing I'd said too much.

"Repay what? You don't owe me anything," he replied, sounding confused. "I thought it was just a loan, and I always meant to give it back to you but I never saw you again until now."

I remained silent, staring at him in wonder. Didn't owe him anything? I owed him my brother, my life, my sanity... Well, maybe not that last part. Shaking my head once more, I turned my back on his lean, proud form and stalked away, not glancing back to see the look of surprise in his crimson eyes.

An hour later, Mokuba found me back in my office, working furiously at my computer to remove mundane glitches as if my life depended on the absolute perfection of my amusement park. He watched me silently for a moment before speaking.

"Yugi-tachi is downstairs," he informed me.

"Good for them," I grunted.

"I told them they could eat lunch with us," Mokuba added.

"They can eat with _you_. I have work to do," I replied, staring into my computer screen.

"Yami's there, too," Mokuba continued, as if he hadn't heard my response. "He asked specifically if you were coming."

"Why should he care?" I asked neutrally, though my heart had resumed its pounding.

"But I told him you weren't," Mokuba finished.

"WHAT? WHY DID YOU DO THAT?" I shouted, tearing my eyes from the computer screen to see my little brother's smirking face. Then I paused, confused at my own reaction. "I mean... Good. Do you need some money?" I pulled out my wallet, but Mokuba shook his head and backed toward the exit.

"He seemed disappointed, so I told him he could bring something up here and eat with you," Mokuba told me quickly and ran out the door.

I stared after him with my jaw hanging open in complete shock. What was Mokuba thinking? He probably was trying to get me to be friends with Yugi-tachi again, something he had often tried but I REALLY didn't want to do, not even for my beloved little brother. But being friends with Yami, on the other hand... Well, at least he was more tolerable than the mutt.

I sat back at my desk and resumed typing, torn between waiting for the door to open and the desire to bolt it. After a few minutes I heard a quiet knock. "Come in," I said disinterestedly, and kept typing. Soft footsteps approached my desk, and through the corner of my eye I saw pale, slender fingers set a wrapped up sandwich and a Styrofoam cup beside me. Yugi- I knew it was him even though I still hadn't looked up –sat in the chair on the other side of my desk before he spoke.

"Why would you think you owed me anything?" he asked calmly.

He wasted no time on small talk. That earned one point in his favor. "Because you saved my life and Mokuba's. I needed to save yours," I replied shortly. Finally glancing at him, I noticed the way his slender fingers threaded absently through his blonde bangs as he contemplated my statement.

"I understand that, I suppose. You're very honorable, Kaiba," he finally said.

"We're a lot alike, as much as I hate to admit it," I said, smirking a little. He grinned back at me, and a tiny dimple appeared beside his upper lip when his white teeth flashed in my direction. Hmm, I was certainly observant today.

"It's about time you did admit it," Yugi- that is, _Yami_ –teased, and the two of us started on our lunch in silence.

"So, how long have you been like this?" I eventually asked, vaguely waving a hand toward him.

"You mean how long have Yugi and I been separated? Only for a week or so," Yami answered. "It was the strangest thing I've ever seen- and that's saying a lot," he interjected and shot a grin at me. "Yugi was working in the game shop when Bakura walked through the door... Remember him? He's the white-haired thief who lived in the Ring..."

"Yes, I remember," I cut in. "Just get on with the story." Despite myself, I was intrigued.

"Anyway, he came in the game shop and suddenly grabbed the Sennen Puzzle around Yugi's neck. Yugi shouted and tried to break free of Bakura's grip, but Bakura muttered something and the Puzzle glowed, and I appeared, just like I am. Bakura grinned at us and said, 'If you want to stay like this, you have to find and accept your equal.' Then he just left, before we could ask him any questions." Yami shrugged and frowned a little at the memory.

"What happened to the Puzzle? Is it still the same as it was before?" I asked, trying not to think about the 'equal' part. No one was Yami's equal, so he was doomed to return to the Puzzle...if he could. The idea left me feeling oddly depressed.

"It's still around Yugi's neck, and I think it would still work if I needed to go back inside it, but I haven't tried. I like being a separate person," Yami replied, a little guiltily. "Oh, but I did end up with a mark on my chest shaped like the Puzzle. It looks like a tattoo." He unashamedly pulled his shirt over his head and dropped in on the chair, and walked around the desk to show me.

"See? It even has lines like puzzle pieces," Yami said. He sounded proud, for whatever stupid reason. I hesitantly reached out a hand to touch it, expecting him to flinch away. He didn't. I held my breath as I traced the lines on Yami's warm skin, feeling his fluttering heartbeat under my fingers.

With my hand still tracing his chest, Yami took a step closer and gently brushed my cheek. "You have something on your cheek, hang on," he muttered, rubbing my face with the pad of his thumb. "I think it's..." he began, and leaned closer to inspect.

The door burst open, and all of Yugi-tachi and Mokuba bustled into my office, talking loudly. Yami and I glanced in their direction and all of their mouths fell open in shock. We glanced back at each other and suddenly broke apart, realizing our position, and Yami rushed around the desk and pulled his shirt back on, with a face as red as his eyes. I just turned back to my computer, ignoring them all.

"Well, Seto, you and Yami have sure gotten close," Mokuba snickered, and the idiots burst into derisive laughter. I chanced a look at Yami, who glared at them all, and felt slightly reassured.

The next week passed quickly, filled with the general setbacks and annoyances of starting a new business. Eventually, however, things settled into a more manageable state, and I found myself thinking of Yami once again. What a sadistic way for the thief to take revenge on Yami- to give him something he desperately wanted only to jerk it away again. I could see how much being his own separate person meant to Yami; his pride in his new body was obvious, from the way he'd carelessly thrown off his shirt to his calm acceptance of my curious touch.

But he could never stay like he was, because he could never find his equal. At least, he couldn't do it alone... My eyes widened.

I'd thought of a way to repay my debt.

I scrawled a note to Mokuba, who was currently at school, and jumped into my newest blue convertible. After a few minutes of giving other drivers the worst fright of their lives as well as a terrible case of road rage, I parked carelessly on the curb in front of the Kame Game Shop.

Yami opened the front door before I'd even had a chance to unfasten my seat belt. "Kaiba? What are you doing here?" he asked curiously, approaching the car.

"Get in," I said curtly, not bothering to explain. He nodded.

"Hang on a second; I just have to scribble a note to Yugi," Yami replied. I waited just long enough to get impatient before he returned to the door, tugging a black leather jacket over his sleeveless black shirt.

"Wear enough black?" I drawled sarcastically. He raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing my attire.

"Wear enough trench coats?" Yami replied with a grin. I scowled at him and adjusted the collar of my newest blue coat.

"So, where are we going?" Yami asked as he buckled his seatbelt. I sped off down the road, ignoring the glares of other drivers as I continually cut them off.

"KaibaCorp. There's a worldwide directory in my main computer of all the top duelists and other successful people. If your equal is anywhere on earth, we can find him. Or her," I told Yami coolly.

"Kaiba... I can't believe this. Thank you so much," he breathed.

"Hn," I grunted, and I scowled, but felt a little pleased all the same.

When we reached KaibaCorp, Yami wordlessly followed me into the basement, where I kept a giant computer, reaching from wall to wall. It really didn't need to be that large, but I liked it. It impressed people.

"Wow," Yami sighed. "This sure is impressive."

I ignored his comment (or pretended to) and started the machine. When I found the right program, I typed in "Yami Mutou" as well as a thorough list of his achievements, and gave the computer a command to find a match. He leaned over my shoulder, reading what I had written, and he sighed. "Kaiba, shouldn't you write some _bad_ things about me, too? Wouldn't my equal have my same faults?" he protested.

"No," I replied shortly, and tried to ignore his warm breath against my neck as he peered over my shoulder. Gah! What was wrong with me? Why did I care about his breath? "I think this computer is large enough for you to give me some space," I grumbled. He immediately backed away.

"Sorry," he muttered. Just then the computer beeped, telling me it had come up with the results.

"Okay, let's see what it says," I said, and clicked the print icon. A short listed printed out, consisting of four names.

"Is that it?" Yami groaned in disappointment, and stepped closer to me again so that we could read the list.

Seto Kaiba.

"Well, we can cross that one out," I muttered. A slow red flush crept over my cheeks and I willed it away before Yami could notice.

"Wait, why?" Yami protested. "You _are_ my equal, and I accept you, so we're done! Hah, Bakura will be so furious!" he gloated.

I crossed my arms, giving him my icy blue glare, and waited impatiently for him to quiet. "I think we both know that I'm _not_ your equal, since you've beaten me every single time we dueled. The only thing I was good for was finding the right card for you to use," I spat.

Yami gazed at me sorrowfully through his ruby eyes. "Kaiba, you know that's not true; just because I defeat you in a duel doesn't mean I'm better than you! You beat me, too; what about Duelist Kingdom?" he argued.

I blanched at the reminder of the time I'd almost killed myself to save my little brother; the time I did what I'd said I'd never do- I cheated my way to victory. Perched on the edge of that castle, I lost whatever honor I ever had. Sometimes I wished Yami had let me die that day.

Yami caught my stricken expression and hurriedly apologized. "Kaiba, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to... But I'm _not_ better than you," he said. I stared at him silently, not bothering to change my expression. "I'm sorry, really, Seto," Yami pleaded, and rested a consoling hand on my arm. When I flinched under his grasp he quickly pulled his arm away and glanced at the floor, finally breaking our eye contact.

"Let's just finish reading this," I sighed.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi everyone, I'm back with Chapter 2! Wow, I got four reviews in one day; that's way more than I expected, since this is my first story and it isn't very long yet. I decided to update about twice a week- probably on Mondays and Thursdays. That will give you all time to read and review, without making you wait too long.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Chapter 2

The next person on the list was the only other person who lived in this country, and she just happened to live nearby. Nodding to each other, Yami and I climbed back into the car to pay a quick visit to Mai Kujaku.

We rode for a while in silence, each occupied by our own thoughts, until I felt Yami's gaze on me. "Kaiba, where have you been for the last two years?" he asked quietly.

"What are you talking about? You knew exactly where I was; just outside of town, designing Kaiba Land," I snapped.

"No, I mean... For so long, you and I were really close, you know? And then, after Battle City you just disappeared. I never even got to give you your card back," he mused. I glanced over at Yami to see him staring thoughtfully out the window, running his slim fingers through his long blonde bangs. When, after I moment, I still hadn't responded, he turned to me. I quickly returned my attention to the road.

"Yugi-tachi are starting college in a week or so," he continued. "Yugi was so happy when he found out the high schools start earlier than college; he bragged about it for days. It was so funny." Yami laughed to himself, and I wondered why he was telling me all this. Maybe he just liked to hear himself talk. What disturbed me was I liked to hear it, too.

"I won't go with him, though. I can't. I guess I'll just help Yugi's Jiichan in the game shop; that is, if I even still have my own body then," Yami sighed.

I pulled the car to a screeching halt on the side of the highway, sending dust flying through the air. Some of it settled in my open convertible, but I ignored it, glaring at Yami. "You'll have your body; you always will. I promise you that. And you'll do something more worthwhile with it than working in a second-rate game shop," I growled.

Yami stared at me for a moment; then he slowly unfastened his seat belt and let it slide away from him. "Where do you think you're going?" I snarled, expecting him to jump from the vehicle.

He threw himself at me instead.

Yami wrapped his arms around my neck and squeezed the air from my lungs in a desperate hug. He buried his face into my shirt, and through my haze of absolute shock I felt it grow damp against my skin. Yami was crying.

"Yami, what in the world?" I gasped, torn from my usual composure by this unbelievable event. Yami Mutou was hugging me. And crying.

"Kaiba, I'm just so scared," he mumbled into my chest. "I don't want to go back to the Puzzle! Being like this, _living_ like this; it's all I ever wanted! I don't want to go back; I _can't_!" Hesitantly, I let my arms creep around his back and held him as he sobbed. This was one of those surreal moments where I needed to touch something so I could be sure I was awake.

Yami sniffled and scooted closer to me, so that I could feel the heat from his slim form all along my side. Well, I was definitely awake. I suppose it was a good thing, too; if I'd dreamed about this I might have to start worrying about myself.

"Yami, I already told you that I wouldn't let you go back to that Necklace..."

"Puzzle," he interrupted.

"Whatever. Anyway, that's why we're here. If you want to beat Bakura, then stop crying and get back in your seat so we can see Mai," I ordered. He reluctantly slid his arms from my neck and scooted away, grinning weakly at me. I successfully fought down an answering grin and started the car.

"Thank you, Seto. You'll never know how much this means to me," Yami whispered faintly, under his breath. But I heard.

* * *

"Hey, Kaiba? How will we know when I beat the spell?" Yami asked thoughtfully, as we climbed the steps to Mai's apartment.

"Call it a hunch," I replied dryly, and tapped his chest.

"Oh..." Yami lifted his shirt, exposing his pale, smooth skin, and stared down at his tattoo.

"What are you doing?" I groaned. "You look like an idiot!"

"I was checking to see if it was still there," Yami snapped, glaring at me. It didn't hold its usual strength, though; perhaps because he was blushing furiously at the same time.

I ignored him and knocked on the door. Mai opened it in her usual half-dressed state, with her thick blonde hair cascading down her smooth shoulders. "Well, hello, boys," she smirked seductively.

Yami and I just stared at her, unimpressed.

A look of confusion briefly crossed her face before she shrugged and stepped aside. "Kaiba, Yugi. It's a surprise to see you; come on in," she said, and gestured into the apartment.

I strode inside quickly, with Yami right on my heels. "Hello, Mai," he said cheerfully. "But you should really call me Yami now; Yugi and I are separate."

"You don't say," she replied, raising an eyebrow.

Yami launched into a long, complicated explanation while I waited impatiently. Tuning out his words, I simply watched him speak- his scarlet eyes sparkled with emotion, and his long blond bangs swept carelessly across his forehead as he gestured emphatically. He raised a slender hand and pointed at me and I snapped from my reverie.

"...so Kaiba printed out the list, and here we are," Yami finished.

Mai blinked in surprise. "Yami, you actually think _I_ could be your equal?" she gasped, and burst into laughter. "You beat me every single time we dueled!" She continued to laugh hysterically while Yami glared.

"That seems to be a common response," he said sulkily. "Maybe we should judge this by something other than Duel Monsters."

I shrugged. "Well, what do you think we should do, then?" I asked.

"I don't know; come up with some sort of test?" Yami replied vaguely. "If we had the Sennen Items, this would be easy..."

"Don't you?" I asked.

"No, Yugi does," he replied distantly, "but I don't know if they even work on me, since the spell." He paused for a moment. "Hey Seto, can I ask you something?"

"What?" I said, watching Mai, who was _still_ laughing. It had become like white noise, of sorts. Except no one would buy a recording of Mai's derisive laughter to fall asleep to.

"Don't you have a virtual obstacle course at Kaiba Land?"

* * *

"But you _have_ to let me come, Seto!" Mokuba whined.

Yami and I had convinced Mai to challenge him in the virtual obstacle course. They would each play their own game, separate from the other, and my computer would compare their performance and strategies. It was the perfect way to measure Yami's equal. He'd been brilliant to think of it.

Yami and Mai were coming to the amusement park later this morning, and Mokuba was begging to miss school so he could see it.

"No. I'll tell you what happened this afternoon."

"Aww, but Jou and Yugi and the rest will be here!" he pleaded. Suddenly I felt nauseous.

"I don't care. They don't have school," I snapped. Mokuba stuck out his bottom lip and let his eyes grow big and watery in an adorable pout, and I had to look away. "That doesn't work anymore, Mokuba. You're not a little kid now."

"You HATE me! You don't want me to have friends!" he wailed. I wavered. Man, this kid was good.

"No," I said firmly, and pointed to the limousine, where the driver stood waiting beside the door. "Go to school," I ordered. Mokuba scowled at me, muttering under his breath, and once he was out of sight I ran shaking fingers through my thick brown hair and sighed.

"You're tougher than I am. If Yugi pulled something like that, I could never resist," came a laughing voice from behind me.

"Yami!" I greeted him, smiling happily. Then I realized what I was doing and quickly glared.

"It's good to see you, too," he smirked, and I gave him a real scowl. "I know the rest won't be here until later, but I wanted to see you. I'm really nervous," Yami admitted.

"You wanted to see _me_ because you were nervous?" I asked incredulously.

"Well, I don't know... Yes, I suppose," he said. "Yes. I did."

Having his own body must be making him go insane. "Whatever. Go do...whatever it is you do. I have to work," I snapped, and stalked up the stairs to my office. He followed me.

I decided to ignore him and turned on my computer, carefully sorting through all the new issues that had arisen with Kaiba Land. Yami sat in the chair across from my desk and relaxed into it, silently closing his eyes. After a few minutes his head bobbed against his shoulder and he gave a little snore, and I smiled at him (since he wasn't awake to see it) and walked quietly around the desk. Then I pulled off my coat and draped it over him, running my fingers through his soft hair as I straightened. He smiled slightly in his sleep and I suddenly frowned. What was I doing?

Quickly I retreated to my computer and began working furiously, determined not to pay any more attention to Yami. I still noticed when he shifted in his sleep and tugged my coat closer to him, sighing contentedly.

* * *

Yugi-tachi stared at the display screens, torn between watching Yami's progress and watching Mai's. I watched Yami, of course, though I pretended to work on my laptop. After several different obstacle courses (during which Yugi-tachi screamed and cheered like a bunch of baboons) Yami and Mai emerged from their virtual pods, yawning and stretching.

"So Kaiba, what's the score?" the stupid mutt asked me.

"Jou, he still has to do his thing with the computer, you know," said the pointy-haired guy (I forget his name), making typing motions in the air with his fingers.

Yugi-tachi bickered amongst themselves, and I ignored them as usual, running the statistics through my computer. When I felt a soft touch on my shoulder I jerked my head up, ready to snap at whichever of the baboons that had dared to touch me; but Yami stood there, resting his hand companionably on my shoulder and watching the computer screen apprehensively. I silently turned back to my laptop.

"How did I do?" he asked quietly.

"Fine. But that doesn't matter; we want to know how much of what Mai did is similar to you, or at least on the same level with you," I explained.

"I know that; this was my idea, remember?" Yami smirked. "I was asking how you thought I did."

"Does the King of Games need reassurance?" I scoffed. "I designed this game, and you could go through it a hundred times and never figure out everything there is to it," I bragged. Yami laughed and squeezed my shoulder before heading over to Yugi-tachi.

Watching him from the corner of my eye, I finished the program commands and leaned back in my chair to wait. Yami was talking to Anzu now, who hung all over him, giggling flirtatiously. I scowled. Much more amusing, however, were the mutt's attempts to flirt with Mai.

"So... Mai. How are things? You know, it's nice to see you; I like having you around. Not that I miss you; I mean... It's cool when you're around, but when you're not, that's okay, too," he stuttered. The pointy-haired guy mocked the mutt behind his back, and Yugi snickered under his breath at the two of them.

Just then we heard a loud beep, and a flashing number appeared on the display screens.

50.

"I'm sorry, Yami," Yugi sighed. The others patted him on the back consolingly, and Mai shook his hand.

"I'm sorry, too, but I must say I didn't really expect anything different," she sighed. The group of chattering youths clustered together and herded out the door just like a flock of pigeons. I was forever comparing them to animals, wasn't I? They made it too easy.

Slowly I closed down the virtual pods and the statistical program and shut my laptop, waiting. When I heard the soft footsteps I stood and turned expectantly; Yami gazed at me sadly through his crimson eyes, and his proud shoulders drooped dejectedly. He approached me silently and held out a hand. I just stared at it.

"Thank you for everything, Kaiba," Yami said calmly, straightening his shoulders. He finally dropped his hand and sighed. "I guess we both knew it wouldn't work, though. I won't hold you to your promise; I can handle living in the Puzzle as a spirit again. At least I got to experience a life of my own for a little while."

"What are you talking about, Yami?" I snapped. "There are still two more people on that list!"

"Yes, but you saw who they were," he replied. "Plus they live in Egypt, so how would I..."

"I'll take you there tomorrow," I interrupted. He blinked in surprise. Then he threw his arms around my waist in a bone-crushing hug.

"Kaiba, how did I survive the last two years without you?" he laughed. I just smirked and lightly returned the hug.

* * *

Mokuba, needless to say, threw the temper tantrum of a lifetime when I informed him of my trip. "But Seto, _why_ can't I go? Tomorrow's Saturday," he whined.

"I already told you, Mokuba, I'll be gone for at least three days, maybe four. You'd end up missing at least two days of school, and this isn't even a pleasure trip. I promise I'll take you somewhere fun one weekend or when you have a vacation from school," I told him impatiently, packing my suitcase. I made sure to pack plenty of extra things for Yami, just in case he needed anything.

A mischievous gleam came into Mokuba's eyes. "Seto, since I can't come with you, can I at least have a friend or two come over this weekend? I really don't want to be alone," he wheedled.

I immediately gave in, since I already felt guilty for not letting him come to see Yami and Mai in the obstacle course, not to mention leaving the country without him. "Fine. Yugi-tachi can come over, but don't let them near my things," I warned.

Mokuba cheered and ran from the room, no doubt to find the nearest telephone and inform the mutt and his friends of my uncharacteristic bout of generosity. I went back to packing, beginning to feel apprehensive about the state of my house when I returned.

I closed the suitcase and slipped off the long coat I'd worn that day, deciding to relax a little, when a folded sheet of paper fell from one of the pockets and drifted to the floor. Frowning curiously, I picked it up and opened it, reading the handwritten note scribbled inside.

_Meet me at the pier. 7:00 P.M. You know where._

"Like I'm going to respond to some vague note from someone who can't even ask me to meet him to his face," I snorted. "I don't know who wrote this; it could be someone trying to rob me or kidnap Mokuba."

I held the note a moment longer and glanced at the clock. 6:35. Scrawling a hasty note to my brother, I slipped back into my coat and ran out the door.

I only had twenty-five minutes to meet Yami.

* * *

"You're late," he said, swinging his legs as they dangled lazily over the water.

"I had to walk. I can't drive my convertible on the pier, after all," I replied, sitting beside him.

"You could take your helicopter again," he grinned up at me. I shuddered at the memory, glancing around the pier where Yami had almost drowned during his duel with the mutt.

"Why did you pick this place?" I grumbled.

"Why did you come?" he retorted, grinning. Light from the rising moon reflected off his white smile, giving him an almost ghostly appearance in the growing darkness. Yami stood, stretching his small, thin frame, and offered me a hand. I took it, though I really didn't need it. Or want it. Really.

"I wanted to remind you that you saved my life before that last battle at Alcatraz. You saved Anzu, which let me (well, Yugi, but we were pretty much the same then) worry about Jou without putting Anzu in danger, and that probably saved all of our lives," he explained. "So, you see, we've each saved the other's life more than once. We're even. You don't owe me anything, not that you ever did," Yami chuckled to himself.

I shook my head. "No, you're still ahead," I argued.

"Well, who can keep track, anyway?" Yami said, and broke into full peals of laughter. I smiled at the sound but turned my head so he wouldn't see. After a moment he quieted and I felt his hand wrap around my elbow. "I just don't want you to only spend time with me because you think you owe me something. I want us to be friends," he added softly.

I gazed coolly into his crimson eyes. "I don't have friends," I told him levelly. He just rolled his eyes and smirked up at me.

"Yes, I know," he said dryly. Then I felt him lean slightly against my arm before he removed his hand from my elbow. While I adjusted to the sudden loss of body heat, Yami stared into the distance, his eyes lighting on something at the edge of the pier.

"Hey Seto," he asked, "do you know how to hotwire a motorboat?"

We exchanged matching wicked smirks.

* * *

I turned the boat back toward the pier after about an hour when its gas light appeared. Yami's hair, by this time, curled all along his face instead of just sticking up everywhere like it normally did. The humid sea air must have taken its toll. He beamed happily, watching the water, as I sped toward the shore; but by now he'd calmed somewhat- he'd been laughing maniacally during my daredevil stunts out on the water. At least he hadn't been screaming.

"This was great, Kaiba," Yami told me as he climbed from the boat, stumbling a little. I easily caught his waist and steadied him while he stepped out onto the pier. Quickly following Yami from the boat, I gave him a brief nod in farewell and stalked away in the direction of my house.

He followed me.

Running his fingers through his hair to remove the curl, Yami ran a few steps until he walked beside me. I raised an eyebrow at him, which he ignored. "So...how is Mokuba?" he asked vaguely. I snorted.

"What are you doing, Yami?"

"Walking with you."

"_Why_?" I sighed impatiently. Didn't he have to go back to Yugi and the other losers?

"Because I want to," he answered shortly, crossing his arms in defiance. Not having an answer for this, I chose to ignore it. We continued walking in silence until we reached the gate to my house. The guards nodded deferentially at me, and I turned expectantly to Yami, observing him with amusement. He just straightened his proud shoulders and smiled at me.

"Goodbye, Kaiba. I'll see you tomorrow," Yami said. I rolled my eyes at him, fighting down a grin. What was the point in walking with me? Surely he didn't need the exercise _that_ badly.

"Don't be late," I replied curtly. He grinned wider and gave me a little wave before turning to leave, and I watched him walk away- the back of his hair had begun to curl again. When I smiled a little at this observation he suddenly looked back at me and caught my expression. I immediately whirled around and stalked through the gates, but his peals of laughter echoed through the night air and followed me into the house.

* * *

**A/N**: I know it might seem out of character for Seto and Yami to be so..._touchy, _at least this quickly, but I think in a situation like this, Yami would be very tactile, since he's still enjoying all the new sensations that come with having his own body. Seto, on the other hand, has been very touch-deprived his entire life, and I think it would come as a relief to him for someone he trusts to give him casual touches- a hug, a hand on the shoulder, etc. So he allows it.

**Reviewer Responses**: Thank you all so much for reviewing my story! It's such a relief to know that someone besides myself has read and enjoyed this. Also, if you review my story, I'll review yours; it's only fair, plus it's a good way for me to find new stories.

_Kawaii Chibi Yami_: I'm glad you liked Seto and Yami getting caught like that; I love putting my characters in embarrassing situations. Heh, I'm evil.

_shadows of chaos61_: Yeah, there aren't nearly enough Seto/Yami stories out there, and I don't see why. Every time the two of them interact, there's so much underlying tension- and it's obvious that the two of them are drawn to each other. sigh

_Nenya85_: Wow, I'm so excited that you reviewed my story! I read some older fanfics before I started writing, and "I Guess it Was in the Cards" was probably my favorite. I didn't know that you had a new story until now, but I read it and it's just as good as your first one. I'm glad you like how Seto was upset about Duelist Kingdom- I think that Seto, in spite of being ruthless, or whatever, is also very honorable, and that cheating his way to victory would be a real blow to his self esteem. I don't really mention his turmoil over Duelist Kingdom much more in the story, but I needed to show a reason why Seto can't accept himself as Yami's equal.

_ryouholic_: Congratulations! You were my first ever reviewer! Don't worry, I'll stick with the story (since it's already finished, anyway), and I have a backlog of other stories waiting, so you guys will have plenty to read.

Look for the next chapter on Monday; and I hope you all liked Chapter 2!


	3. Chapter 3

Hi everyone; here's chapter 3! It's a little early but I was bored so I decided to go ahead and post. Thanks for all the reviews; no one seemed to care about OOCness, which is good because in this chapter...well, you'll see.

FYI: I upped the rating to PG-13 for a few sexual innuendo and hints of lime that will occur in later chapters; nothing too graphic, though- it's just to be safe.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Chapter 3

Yami arrived at my door the next morning with a medium-sized black bag slung over his shoulder. "You pack light," I observed, smiling down at him. His crimson eyes sparkled and I blinked, wiping the expression from my face.

"Well, _I_ do," he smirked and nodded over his shoulder. Yugi-tachi were all behind him, running around in their typical loud, obnoxious way. Much to my amusement, Jounouchi had been saddled with all their suitcases, and he stumbled awkwardly in his attempt to remain upright. "When Mokuba invited them over for the weekend, you'd think _they_ were the ones leaving the country, with the way they were celebrating. They must really like Mokuba," Yami continued, laughing slightly.

"More like they like Mokuba's toys," I replied dryly, but I gave him a little smile, pleased with his praise of my baby brother.

"Yo, Kaiba, when're we gonna get to come inside?" the mutt whined from under the many suitcases.

"I don't let dogs in the house," I snapped. Pulling Yami inside quickly, I slammed the door in Jounouchi's face and locked it.

Yami burst out in surprised laughter and reached for the door, but I grabbed his hand. "Mokuba will let them in later; come on," I said, and pulled him along behind me to the back of the house. We hurried out the back entrance to where I had my private jet parked on a tiny airstrip in the backyard.

"Seto, do you have _everything_?" Yami gasped breathlessly, still laughing.

I ignored this and climbed the open staircase into the airplane. Yami followed at my heels, handing his bag to an attendant, and settled beside me on one of the soft couches along the interior. He leaned back with a sigh, crossing his arms across his chest and resting his head against the back of the couch, and closed his eyes lazily. He smiled a little to himself and the dimple above his lip reappeared.

I moved to an armchair.

After a moment he opened his eyes and turned to where I'd been sitting, and let out a little noise of surprise at my sudden absence. "Kaiba, why did you move?" Yami asked, noticing me in the chair.

"I like my space," I replied shortly, glaring at him. Yami sighed and stretched out across the couch, closing his eyes again.

"Fine, then," was all he said. A few minutes later, I thought he'd fallen asleep when he spoke. "Seto, do you really think this trip is worth it? I mean, we're going all the way to Egypt, just to see if one of _them_ is my equal...not to say that I think I'm better than they are..."

Yami cracked open one eye and met my solemn blue gaze. "Don't you want to try?" I asked neutrally. "I never thought of you as the type to give up." I looked away from him, remembering the time I'd found him on his knees, in tears, when he fought against Malik's mind slave for his first god card. I'd said something similar to Yami then.

Apparently he was remembering the same thing. "I almost did, before... But you helped me then, too, even though you were a complete jerk about it," he chuckled.

"I didn't help you. I was just trying to help myself," I growled.

"Sure. Keep telling yourself that, Kaiba," Yami replied, and rolled over onto his side so that his back faced me. He promptly began snoring.

I didn't buy those snores for a second. "I wouldn't worry too much, Yami. If anyone _is_ your equal, it very well could be Isis or Malik Ishtahl."

* * *

A limousine picked us up at the airport, and the driver loaded our bags into the spacious trunk, as well as my portable version of the virtual obstacle course. Before we went to confront Isis and Malik, I had the driver take us to our hotel, since I had a serious case of jet lag (not that I'd admit it). Yami, on the other hand, had slept for most of the trip (apparently those snores _were _real) and fidgeted anxiously throughout the drive. It was beginning to get on my nerves.

When we deposited our things in the hotel suite I dug out my wallet and shoved a handful of bills in Yami's hand. "Here. Go do something; I don't care what, as long as you don't annoy me or try to find Isis and Malik without me," I told him harshly. "I'm going to take a nap."

"Thanks, Seto," Yami said breathlessly, and gave me a quick hug before running out the door to burn off some of his nervous energy.

I couldn't hold back a smile.

* * *

A few hours later I woke with a start to a loud thump and a crash from the suite's living room. "Yami," I breathed worriedly, and rushed from the room. I found Yami sitting on the floor rubbing his head, surrounded by shopping bags, which had apparently tripped him.

"Are you alright?" I asked, and helped him stand, hooking my fingers under his arms.

"Yes, I'm fine," Yami replied, glancing at me briefly. Then he eyes widened and he blushed as red as his eyes. Confused, I stared at him for a moment before I remembered my sleeping attire; I wore only my boxers and I'd not even paused to pull on a robe before rushing into the living room. I quickly backed away a respectable distance.

"I bought you something," Yami said cheerfully, forgetting his embarrassment. He leaned over and rummaged through the shopping bags until he found a set of red books, embossed in gold and loosely tied together with a string. "I found these in one of the outdoor markets; they're a history of ancient Egypt, written in hieroglyphics but with translations. I just thought you might like them." He grinned sheepishly up at me and handed me the books; then he bit his lip anxiously, waiting for my reaction.

I untied the string and reverently opened the first book. The hieroglyphics were depicted in color, with translations directly under them as well as directions on how to read the hieroglyphs. It was absolutely incredible.

"Well, Yami, I suppose you have a little bit of sense," I said dryly. He beamed.

"They made me think of you," he said, and gathered up the rest of the bags and carried them to his room. I stood for a long time, not moving, just staring after him.

* * *

Yami clutched my arm apprehensively as we approached Isis Ishtahl's door. When my hand started tingling from the loss of circulation, I gently pried his fingers loose and glared at him. Emotion wavered in his scarlet eyes until he blinked and took a deep breath, and his usual proud confidence returned; then Yami gave me a humorless grin and knocked on the door.

Malik opened it, shirtless and brushing his teeth. "Oh, hey Ka-bah, hewo Pha-oh," the tanned blonde mumbled behind his toothbrush. He walked away without another word, leaving the door standing open behind him. We blinked in surprise.

Immediately Isis appeared, glaring over her shoulder at her brother. "My Pharaoh, it is wonderful to see you again. How may I assist you?" she asked in her mysterious, proper way, bowing her head slightly at Yami and smiling broadly. I resisted the urge to punch her.

"Hello Isis. May we come in?" Yami said politely. "Seto and I need to ask a favor of you, and maybe your brother." I glared, resenting his inclusion of me. _I_ didn't need a favor from anyone, especially these psychopathic Egyptians.

Yami lightly tugged at my arm and I followed him inside. The Ishtahl home was spacious, but cluttered by the hobbies of its residents. Egyptian artifacts and archaeological magazines littered the shelves and coffee table in the living room, and through the hall I caught a glimpse of motorcycle parts scattered along the floor. I assumed those were Malik's, though one could never tell.

Yami tugged at my arm again and I sat beside him on the couch while he explained his situation to Isis. Pushing aside the magazines carelessly, I noticed an open notebook on the coffee table. I glanced cautiously at Yami and Isis, who were enthralled in their conversation, and peered at the notebook curiously. A doodle of a person wearing a long, flowing trench coat was on the open page. Me!

My eyes widened and I flipped through the notebook; on nearly every page were drawings of me, with nauseating little hearts surrounding my face. Even worse, someone had written things on the page margins, like 'Seto is sexy,' or 'Kaiba is so tall, I bet his...' I gasped, cheeks flaming in mortification, and slammed the notebook shut. I leapt to my feet and Yami and Isis stared at me. Isis! That stupid Egyptian b...

"Kaiba, what's wrong with you?" Malik asked, suddenly appearing behind me.

"Nothing," I snapped. "Yami, I'm going outside." He gazed at me curiously and opened his mouth to say something, but I whirled around and stalked out the front door. I slammed it behind me and paced angrily back and forth along the Ishtahl's front porch. Finally, I sighed and rested my arm against the wall, and buried my face in my arm, closing my eyes. I knew I didn't like Isis for a reason.

Light footsteps approached me, and someone rested a hand on my back and softly began massaging my shoulders. "Yami, I'm sorry I ran out like that," I muttered. "But Isis has a crush on me; she filled an entire notebook with sick drawings of me! I just couldn't stay in that house with her." The hands stopped massaging and slowly rubbed circles down my spine, and I involuntarily let out a grunt of pleasure. Then splayed fingers slid around my waist to my stomach and arms encircled me seductively from behind.

I stiffened. "Yami, what are you doing?" I choked in shock.

"What if it wasn't Isis who liked you?" a male voice whispered in my ear. Malik! I shoved him backward and heard a satisfying thump as he hit the porch floor.

"Get away from me!" I shouted, whirling to glare down at him. "You and your sister are both sick!"

"Kaiba, I already told you, Isis doesn't like you," Malik grumbled, climbing to his feet and rubbing his bruised rear. "She has a thing for the Pharaoh. I, on the other hand, know how to appreciate a tall, dark, and handsome, not to mention rich, man like yourself..."

But I'd stopped listening to the stupid blonde fruit. Isis liked _Yami_? And I'd left them alone! Pushing Malik to the floor once more (he'd slipped seductively to my side again, not that he'd have any more of a chance with me than the mutt would have of winning a beauty contest), I rushed to the Ishtahl's living room where I'd left Yami sitting on the couch.

Isis sat beside him, much closer than I (and common decency) would have preferred. "I don't know, Isis. Are you sure this is the right way to test it?" Yami asked doubtfully.

"Absolutely sure," she breathed, and attacked him. Well, kissed him, but it looked the same. I froze, shock momentarily overwhelming my growing fury, as Isis ran her slimy hands through Yami's soft hair and pressed her slutty body against Yami's slender frame. I glared angrily when Isis attempted to slide her tongue inside Yami's mouth, and I moved to rip her away from him, but Yami pushed her back gently.

"I-I'm sorry, Isis, but I really don't think this is the right way to..." She interrupted him by throwing herself at him again and clamping her fish lips tightly over his. This time, I growled angrily and stalked across the room, and harshly shoved Isis away from him. I grabbed Yami's arm in a viselike grip and dragged him from the house, all the way to the waiting limousine.

Once inside the car, I told the driver to take us back to the hotel and pushed the button to put up the tinted screen between him and the backseat. I glanced over at Yami, who stared intently out the tinted window, and sighed, resting an apologetic hand on his shoulder. He turned his gaze to me and I pulled my arm away in shock. Tears streamed down his pale cheeks, and bloodshot capillaries streaked through the whites of his eyes, making them seem like two bloody orbs in his stricken face.

"I...I'm sorry, Yami, but she just attacked you; and Malik the fruit tried to hit on me outside... They weren't worth even testing. Neither of them could ever even come close to you," I apologized worriedly.

"She said that was the best way to test it. That if we were really equals, we should be together; and that was the only way I could truly accept my equal- as my partner," Yami told me quietly. Tears flowed down his cheeks faster now, and a choked sob escaped his throat. "I thought...I thought maybe she was right, so I did it. But that was," he paused, glancing up at me guiltily, and reddened. "But that was my first kiss. And it was horrible!" Yami finished quickly. He buried his face in his palms and sobs shook his small body.

This time, I hugged him.

I draped my arms around Yami's shaking form and drew him close to me, trying not to pay attention to the eucalyptus fragrance in his hair as he wrapped his arms around my neck and buried his wet face just under my chin. Yami sniffled and nuzzled my shirt just like a small child, and I smiled indulgently. Gradually his sobs quieted and he looked up, grinning at me through his teary eyes. "Did you say Malik hit on you?" he asked mischievously.

I shoved him back to his side of the car.

* * *

"Come on, just tell me what happened!" Yami begged, following me into my room. We'd decided to stay the rest of the night in Egypt, since we already had the hotel room, but I was beginning to regret the decision. Yami was seriously ticking me off.

"I said no! It's none of your business!" I snapped, and stalked into the bathroom and slammed the door. At least Yami wouldn't follow me in there.

"Fine!" he shouted. "You don't have to be such a jerk about it; I was just curious! I guess it's okay for you to see Isis humiliate me, but Seto Kaiba can never let anyone see him as less than perfect!"

"Don't lecture _me_ about being perfect! You're the one who dragged me all over the world just to find someone you weren't better than!" I yelled through the door.

Silence fell.

"Dragged you?" Yami asked weakly, after an excruciatingly long moment. Then I heard thumping footsteps run from the room and a door slam.

I swore under my breath. Kaiba, you just had to open your big mouth, didn't you? "Yami, I'm sorry; I didn't mean that!" I called, yanking open the bathroom door and running after him. Luckily he hadn't left the suite; he'd only run to his room. I knocked loudly on the door, over the sound of swearing and shattering glass.

"Go away, Kaiba! I never want to talk to you again!" Yami shouted. Before I could respond to this, he jerked open the door, fury blazing in his crimson eyes. "Do you want to know something?" he snarled, apparently forgetting his declaration from a moment before. "I thought we were friends. I thought you _cared_ about me. But you were still just trying to work off some imaginary debt. So here," he said, shoving something into my hands. "I think you've repaid it." Yami slammed the door in my face.

I stared down in the object in my hands- a Duel Monsters card, laminated and set in an elaborate frame.

The Devil's Sanctuary.

* * *

True to his resolve, Yami kept an unnatural silence throughout the rest of the trip. I apologized once and tried to return his card, but he just shook his head and ignored me. I left him alone after that.

When we arrived back at my house, Yami nodded curtly to me, and I caught the anguish in his blazing eyes; but he quickly strode away before I could say a word. Suddenly, fury swept through me and I lost all control. "You are such a coward!" I snarled. "I can't believe you're walking away from this!"

He paused, tension straining every muscle in his lithe body. "From what, Kaiba? There isn't anything to walk away from. It's over. Even if we ever were friends, it wouldn't matter, because I've run out of options. Soon I'll just be a spirit again, and you can go back to ignoring me like you did for the last two years," Yami replied in a deadly calm, not turning around.

"I _never_ ignored you; I couldn't. Ever since I first met you, I kept trying to push you away, but you wouldn't let me. Now you're _running_ away," I groaned in exasperation. I would never understand him.

Yami finally turned and observed me, a tiny smile gracing his lips- not quite wide enough to make the little dimple appear. "Is that your way of apologizing?" he questioned.

"I already apologized. You wouldn't listen," I sulked. Yami laughed, and I triumphantly noted the dimple's return to his upper lip before he rushed over and hugged me tightly.

"I guess I'll have to forgive you, then; you can't help being a jerk, since it's in your nature," he mumbled into my chest. I scowled and tried to push him away, but he just clung tighter, so I shrugged and wrapped my arms around him. This time, I let myself smell his hair, smiling a little when I caught the scent of eucalyptus shampoo.

I'd worry about myself later.

* * *

A long time later, Yami reluctantly slipped from my grasp and the two of us silently entered the house to break the news about Malik and Isis to Mokuba and the rest of Yugi-tachi. Well, most of it. Hopefully Yami wouldn't want to go into much detail.

Mokuba tackled me, cheering happily at my return, as soon as I strode through the door. Yugi and the mutt sat in the floor of the living room playing one of Mokuba's video games, and the spike-haired guy was cheering loudly for Yugi and making snide remarks about Jounouchi's lack of skill. I smirked. Maybe I should learn his name.

Anzu, the stupid slut with a crush, sidled up to Yami, batting her eyelids, and I stepped between the two of them. Yami sighed gratefully, making me wonder just how much the encounter with Isis had scarred him. Of course, maybe he just had good sense.

Anzu pouted and started to lecture me about 'coming between friends' or something along those lines. I wasn't listening. "Okay, you can all GO HOME now," I said loudly. The three boys groaned and Anzu grew teary-eyed, until Yami coughed meaningfully. Then they turned their attention to him and all began chattering at once.

"Yami! How was your trip?"

"What happened? Is Malik still crazy?" ("_Yes,_" I muttered emphatically.)

"Well, did you beat Bakura's spell?" At Yugi's question, everyone grew silent, staring at Yami. He just shook his head and lifted his shirt to reveal the dark lines of the Sennen Puzzle tattooed into his pale skin.

"What are you going to do now, Seto?" Mokuba queried anxiously.

I gazed directly into Yami's dejected face and answered, "There's only one thing we can do. I think it's time to pay a visit to the thief himself." Yami met my eyes and hope spread across his drawn features. A bit of color came into his cheeks as we stared at each other, until the mutt's obnoxious voice cut through the air, breaking the moment.

"Well, at least do it when the rest of us can be there. We're all gettin' kinda tired of bein' left out," Jounouchi grumbled.

"You're an idiot," I replied. "Come on, Yami, I'll take you home." Grabbing Yami's arm, I led him through the house and slammed the door in Jounouchi's face when he tried to follow us.

"Why does he keep doin' that?" I heard the mutt whine from the other side of the door.

* * *

I drove Yami home in my blue convertible, but when we stopped in front of the game shop I motioned for him to wait. Slightly red-faced, I reached for his bag and handed it to him. "Open it," I told him. He did as I asked, though he raised an eyebrow, and as soon as he saw what lay inside he gasped.

"Seto, why... how..." he breathed.

I had slipped the Devil's Sanctuary back inside his bag. "I wanted you to keep it, even if you wouldn't forgive me for what I said," I shrugged. "Just in case you ever needed it for anything. It was a gift, after all."

"You're unbelievable," he laughed. Then he impulsively wrapped his arms around my neck and kissed my cheek. "I'll call you sometime tomorrow so we can go see Bakura," he said and climbed out of the car.

I just sat there for a moment, staring after him in wonder. I had never met anyone more unpredictable than Yami; I just _couldn't_ understand him. Frankly, it ticked me off. "He should really know better than to go around kissing people," I grumbled, rubbing the spot on my cheek. It burned strangely.

All the way home, the spot on my cheek kept burning, so as soon as I entered the house I hurried to the bathroom to wash my face. When I caught a glimpse of my reflection, I started in surprise. I was grinning from ear to ear.

That ticked me off, too.

* * *

**A/N: **Well...there you go. I don't really know what to say about this chapter, except most of it took me by surprise. I didn't plan for Malik and Isis to act like that when I started writing; it just sort of crept in. But I don't care, because I think it was really funny anyway.

**Reviewer Responses:** Thank you so much for all your reviews; people are responding to this a lot better than I expected. I feel loved!

_LadyIconDraco_: Wow, your review was so nice! I'm glad you think my story is well done. Yep, it's my first fic alright, but I am an English major so I guess I have a lot of practice when it comes to writing... (blushes)

_Kawaii Chibi Yami_: The "pointy-haired guy" I meant was actually Honda, since he has that weird spike-thing in his hair, but I guess I should have been more specific, since most of the Yugioh people have pointy hair... I just thought it would be funny if Seto didn't know his name. Oh, well. Thanks for the review, and sorry I confused you.

_SLJade_: Thanks so much for the review, and I'm glad you like the story!

_ryouholic_: The wonderful land of Egypt, indeed! I bet you could guess they were going to see Malik and Isis, though, since who else in Yugioh is from Egypt? Oh, wait. Everyone. Never mind...

_shadows of chaos61_: I totally agree! Yami is the only one Seto respects; just one more reason why they should be together. (sighs)

Hope you liked the chapter! Please review, because I'm dying to know what you think.

BTW, I've started posting another story- it's called "The Life of a Thief," and it's a Marik(the hikari)/Bakura story, so you can read it if you like that pair. It's finished, too, so I'll update regularly.


	4. Chapter 4

Well, I'm back with chapter 4! I blew off my mythology class so I could update on time, so be grateful! (Of course, I didn't really want to go anyway. lol)

As always, read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Chapter 4

The next morning I drove Mokuba to school myself, eager to spend some time with my little brother, since I seemed to have been ignoring him lately. Much to my annoyance, however, he spent the entire time describing every movement Yugi-tachi had made, as well as every annoying, insipid joke that came from the mutt and the other guy. Apparently his name was Honda.

"So, what did you and Yami do in Egypt? Besides visiting Malik, I mean," Mokuba asked once he'd finished his description of the mutt's pizza-eating habits. I scowled at the reminder of Malik and his twisted notebook.

"Yami shopped. I slept," I replied briefly.

"Is that all?" Mokuba sighed, sounding disappointed. "Well...what did he buy, then?"

I brightened. "He found me these absolutely incredible books, about ancient Egyptian history, written in hieroglyphics with..." I trailed off, abandoning my description, at the bemused grin on Mokuba's face. "What?" I snapped.

"Since when do you read anything that's not on a computer screen? Especially if it's about Egyptian history, since you're still in denial about everything to do with that," Mokuba smirked.

"I like to read, for your information," I replied haughtily. "And these books definitely seem worth my time." I parked in front of the school, scowling at my brother.

"Yeah, since Yami bought them," Mokuba retorted, grinning, and jumped out of the car before I could reply.

Dumbfounded, I stared after his departing figure until he disappeared into the school. What was that supposed to mean? I liked those books because they were worth something, not because of the proud little figure who bought them for me; or the look of absolute delight on his face when he saw that I appreciated his present...

Maybe it was time for me to start worrying about myself.

Rubbing my face roughly with the palms of my hands, I shook away these disturbing thoughts and started the drive to my office. I needed to do some work before Yami called me. Yami... Gah! I just stopped thinking about him, and he already wormed his way back into my mind.

Grumbling under my breath, I parked in front of my office building and stalked up the stairs, not bothering with the elevator. At least I could bury my tortured mind in work for a little while, and escape from my confusing, if not unpleasant, thoughts. Yami was making me even crazier than I already was; maybe I should put off seeing him for a little while. I nodded to myself as I opened the office door, deciding to say I wanted to wait a day to visit Bakura whenever Yami called me.

Yami sat in my office.

I groaned in exasperation, and Yami raised one eyebrow curiously. "Seto? What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"I thought you were going to _call_ me," I answered, glaring at him, and he shrugged sheepishly.

"I wanted to see you," Yami grinned.

"You've seen me. Now get out," I snapped. Hurt flashed briefly through his eyes before they blazed in anger, and he rose haughtily to his feet, crossing his arms across his chest.

"I don't know what your problem is, Kaiba, but like you said yesterday, I won't let you push me away. If you want to come with me to see Bakura, meet me at the game shop at 6:00. If you don't come, I'll understand, and I'm still grateful for everything you've done," Yami said, proudly raising his chin and looking every inch the pharaoh Malik and Isis claimed he was.

My heart gave a little flip and I frowned, glaring at my chest. Yami raised an eyebrow at me once more before walking confidently to the door, and I sighed. "You know I'll be there," I muttered.

He turned his head, carefully scrutinizing me over his shoulder. "Well, I'd hoped," Yami replied. He gave me a slight grin before he disappeared.

* * *

At exactly 6:00, my driver parked the limousine in front of the Kame Game Shop. I hadn't driven my little convertible this time, since I had Mokuba in tow and I figured Yugi-tachi would try to leech a ride from me anyway.

I was right. Mokuba and I stepped from the limo onto the curb, and Yugi, Anzu, the mutt and the pointy-haired guy ran stupidly out the door, squealing and chasing their imaginary tails in circles. Okay, they were just talking, but I couldn't resist one more dumb animal metaphor.

Mokuba waved cheerfully at them and the group gravitated toward the limousine, laughing and chattering, while I glanced around for Yami. Just as I was becoming confused by his absence, he suddenly appeared in the game shop doorway. "Hi, Seto, I'm glad you decided to come," he murmured, smiling broadly as he strode toward me.

Yami wore tight, monochromatic black- black leather pants and a black shirt under a leather jacket. His untamable hair seemed to stick out in even more spikes than usual, and his bangs hung devilishly in his eyes, giving him a dangerous air. He was wild; a creature of the night.

And I found it irresistible.

"I told you I'd come, didn't I?" I smirked at him. Placing my hand at the small of his back, I guided Yami to the limousine where the others had already situated themselves, arguing loudly. I wished I had my little blue convertible.

"I told the driver where Bakura lives, so we can go if you're ready, Kaiba," Yugi told me.

I nodded curtly at him and returned my attention to the crimson-eyed being beside me. Waiting until the others were distracted by their own pointless conversations, I slipped my arm along the edge of the seat at Yami's back, so that my arm rested around his leather-clad shoulders. "I'm sorry I snapped at you this morning," I murmured. "I'd just had a rough day."

"Already? You hadn't even been to work yet," Yami teased, amusement sparkling in his ruby eyes. "But it's partly my fault; I shouldn't have just shown up at your office like that. I wanted to surprise you, though..." He trailed off thoughtfully and I grinned.

"You definitely did that," I replied, and poked him playfully in the side with my index finger (the one on the hand that wasn't wrapped around his shoulder). He giggled and squirmed a little.

"Stop, that tickles," he protested. I just grinned wider and poked him again, and he laughed, swatting at my hand. I began tickling him in earnest, laughing slightly myself at his helpless sniggers, until I paused in sudden awareness of silence around me.

"Er... What are you guys doing?" Yugi asked hesitantly. I could almost hear the crickets chirping in the uneasy silence that ensued.

I knew I should have taken the convertible.

* * *

I tried to avoid Yami after that, since the others kept shooting suspicious glares in my direction, but he stuck to my side and clung tightly to my elbow while we climbed the steep stairs to Bakura's apartment. I couldn't help feeling strangely pleased by that.

Finally we reached the right door- a dilapidated, stained contraption with rusty hinges –and Yugi knocked loudly against the wood. "Are you sure this is the right place? I thought Bakura had a lot of money," Mokuba piped.

"_Ryou_ Bakura does; he's the spirit Bakura's host, like I am for Yami, but they split a long time ago and Ryou moved to Egypt with his father, probably to get away from his homicidal darker half," Yugi explained.

"Ryou and Malik should get together, since they seem to have a lot in common. That is, they're both insane," I whispered in Yami's ear, and he snickered and punched me lightly on the arm. "Seto, you're terrible," he sniggered.

Yugi-tachi stared at us open-mouthed, and I groaned. "Oh, grow up and get a life," I snapped at them, and they quickly looked away.

Yugi knocked again, louder this time, and the door swung open to reveal a sleepy, highly annoyed Bakura. "What do you fools want?" he snarled, brushing the long, white hair away from his face. Yami stepped forward and straightened his proud form.

"Bakura, I just wanted to thank you for letting me have my own body, even if it was just for a little while," he said.

"WHAT?" we all gasped (yes, even me).

"Thank you, Bakura," Yami said again, and held out his hand. The thief shook it hesitantly, and Yami continued, "You gave me an incredible gift, and I have no problem accepting you as an equal."

My jaw dropped in shock. Was _this_ the answer the entire time? Had Yami figured out the riddle on his own, where I and all the technology at my disposal had failed?

Bakura burst out into maniacal laughter, so apparently not.

"Nice try, _Pharaoh_," Bakura sneered. "But you'll never figure out how to beat me. Any day now you'll disappear back into the Puzzle, and all you'll have is the memory of how it felt to be alive without seeing everything through the eyes of your pathetic little host, and the most you'll be able to hope for is a pleasant dream or two about your life without Yugi's form."

Bakura winked deprecatingly at Yami and moved to slam the door in his face, but I shoved Yami aside and grabbed the rotten piece of wood. "Don't you _dare_ talk to him like that!" I snarled. "You're not worth the scum on the floor under his feet!"

Bakura's eyes widened slightly when he saw me, and he glanced apprehensively between Yami and me before his smirk returned. "Awfully defensive, aren't we, Kaiba?" the thief jeered. He steepled his fingers together under his chin and observed me thoughtfully. "You know, to be completely honest, I didn't even expect the spell to last this long. Your beloved Pharaoh must have come closer to the answer than he knows. Too bad he'll still never figure it out."

"You just wait and see," I threatened icily, and turned my back on the white-haired villain. The door slammed closed behind me, and Yugi-tachi watched me in wonder, but all I saw were Yami's pale, drawn features. "I'm sorry," I told him softly.

Yami stared into my eyes for a long moment before he lifted a shaky hand and brushed my cheek with the very tips of his fingers. The second he made contact with my skin I felt burning fire sear across my face where his fingers lingered and I gasped. Yami's eyes widened and he ripped his hand away; then, as if the hallway were filled with horrific demons, he whirled around and escaped down the dark staircase.

"Mokuba, take Yugi-tachi home," I ordered.

"But..."

"NOW!" I shouted, and raced after Yami. When I reached the bottom of the staircase, I glanced around desperately in both directions but saw no sign of him anywhere. I took a deep breath, trying to press down the great swell of worry constricting my heart, and closed my eyes. Where would he go?

My eyes snapped open and I turned left, heading for the pier.

* * *

Sure enough, he stood on the edge of the wood, inches away from the sudden drop into the deep water. The sea breeze whirled around his face, whipping his wild hair in strange patterns atop his tiny, lean form. In his black clothes, Yami blended with the night, nearly invisible to anyone unaware of specifically what to look for.

To me, he stood out like a glaring beacon against the night sky.

I silently approached him, observing the way his proud shoulders slumped ever-so-slightly, as if he'd been carrying a heavy weight on them for a long time and forgotten how to stand upright once it was gone. "I was proud of you tonight," I told him softly, and he whirled around, surprised by my sudden appearance.

"What? Seto, how did you find me?" Yami gasped. I just rested a hand on his slumped shoulder and continued.

"The way you accepted Bakura could be your equal, despite all the horrible things he's done. It almost made me feel like I had a chance, too," I laughed humorlessly. "But I meant what I said to him. He'll never even come close to what you are. _Never_." With my vehement declaration, I stepped closer to Yami and drew him into my arms, holding him gently until he sighed and relaxed against me.

"Why are you wasting your time trying to help me?" he muttered.

"You know, I always wondered the same thing about you," I replied teasingly, and he laughed. Yami pulled back slightly and scrutinized my face for a long moment before raising his hand to brush my thick brown bangs from my eyes. When his fingers touched my skin I felt that strange heat once again and I held my breath.

"Seto? _Are _we friends?" Yami asked.

"I wouldn't know. I never had any," I answered.

He grinned a little and sighed. "Well, it's a start."

* * *

The next morning Yami was in my office again, waiting for me. I wondered how he always got past the guards. He leaned back casually against the corner of my desk, wearing all black once again, with his wild hair hanging over one eye and swaying with his every breath. I resisted the urge to smooth it back from his face.

"You know, we never did test Malik," Yami greeted me. I scowled, forgetting all about his hair.

"Why would you even bring that up? He's just an obsessive psychopath," I grumbled.

"Because he and Isis are in town," Yami replied innocently. "They called the game shop this morning."

"WHAT! Did that b...("Kaiba!" Yami said warningly) try anything with you? I'll rip her apart!" Forgetting that I still had work to do, I whirled on my heel and marched toward the door, until Yami grabbed my arm.

"Stop, stop!" he cried, sniggering. "They just came into Domino today, and Malik called to tell me that he'd still like to try your virtual obstacle course."

"Like I believe that for a second," I declared scornfully. "I'm not letting Malik back within fifty feet of me!"

Yami's face fell. "Okay... I guess I can just think of something else, then," he said slowly. He dropped my arm and brushed the hair from his eyes, smiling weakly. "I'll let you get to work. Bye, Seto," he mumbled and walked out the door. His shoulders slumped once more.

"Oh, fine, then!" I snapped, following him into the hall. "Bring him by this afternoon, but DON'T talk to Isis and don't let him touch me!"

Yami turned and grinned at me. "Hah! I knew that would work! Mokuba needs to change his tactics!" he smirked.

"What? I don't appreciate being manipulated," I snarled, narrowing my eyes, and Yami quickly stood on his tiptoes and kissed my cheek in a pacifying way. His hair swept across his face as he stepped back, and I couldn't resist lifting a hand to touch it.

"I'm sorry. Thank you, Seto," Yami told me, and moved away before I could touch him. Waving cheerfully at me, he strode confidently down the hall and out of sight.

I didn't need a mirror to tell me I was grinning like an idiot.

* * *

"So, how tall _are_ you Seto? How long are your fingers?" Malik asked, leaning over Yami's shoulder (Yami was trying to stay between us; thank heaven for small favors, as they say).

"Get away from me. And don't call me Seto," I snapped, not even bothering to glance up from my laptop at the blonde. He had worn his purple belly shirt with the chains, no doubt in an attempt to impress me with his muscular stomach. It just made me nauseous, instead.

"Why not? Yami does," Malik whined.

"I don't care if he does. _You_ can't," I replied simply, and Yami beamed.

"So, do you have a lot of motorcycles? I just adore them, especially the BIG ones," the fruit said, batting his eyes. "I'll fix any of yours for free, as long as _you_ bring them to me."

"I can afford a mechanic, thanks. Besides, you live in Egypt," I pointed out.

"I'd be willing to move, if I had a good reason," Malik drawled seductively and leaned farther over Yami's shoulder. Yami stumbled and almost fell into my lap, but I caught him around the waist and steadied him.

"Thanks," he smiled down at me. I noted the dimple above his lip and watched it deepen as Yami flashed his even, white teeth in my direction. Slowly I slipped my arm from his waist and glanced up into his scarlet eyes.

"You're...GAH!" I shouted and jumped from my chair in horror. We had forgotten about Malik, and he had slipped behind me and slid his hands...well, let's just say I felt rather violated. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. "GET OUT OF HERE!"

"But Seto, love, don't you want to know the results of the test? I'm surely at _least_ Yami's equal, if you know what I mean," Malik smirked.

Just then the statistics finished running through my computer, and a flashing number appeared on the display screens. 42 percent.

"You failed. Now get out," I ordered, pointing to the door. Malik looked at my scowling face and sighed theatrically.

"Fine. Just give me a call if you change your mind," he told me, and gave me a wide wink. I shuddered.

Yami and I watched Malik swagger out the door, and as soon as he disappeared from sight, Yami lifted my arm and slipped under it, batting his eyes at me. "So, Seto, love, how big _are_ your motorcycles?" he drawled seriously before bursting into hysterical laughter.

I shoved him and stalked away, blushing furiously.

* * *

After the fiasco with Malik, Yami and I had run out of ideas. To make matters worse, Yugi-tachi had started college and moved into the dorms, leaving Yami alone at the game shop. I couldn't just leave him alone with his worries; especially now, since he kept expecting to turn back into a spirit at any moment, so I took a vacation from work to spend time with Yami and Mokuba.

Seto Kaiba, you've become a softie.

I dropped Mokuba off at school, promising to pick him up and take him somewhere that afternoon, and drove to the Kame Game Shop to surprise Yami. I found him sitting on the curb outside the store, with his chin propped thoughtfully in his hands. For once he wasn't wearing black; instead he wore dark jeans and a matching denim jacket over a tight red shirt. (The more time I spent around Yami, the more inadequate I felt in my trench coats.)

"Hey, Kaiba," he greeted me listlessly, not moving from the spot. "Don't you have to work?"

"I took a vacation," I informed him shortly. "Get in the car."

"You're always ordering me around. What if I don't want to get in the car?" he grumbled. "I might have something important to do, you know."

"Sure, and that's why you're just sitting on the side of the road," I scoffed. He glared at me and rose haughtily, and I reached to unlock the car door but he turned on his heel and stalked back into the game shop. I blinked. This surprise wasn't turning out exactly as planned.

Before I could decide how to react to Yami's sudden exit, he reappeared, with his black bag slung over his shoulder; and smirking at me, tossed it into the back as he climbed into the car. "Since you're on vacation, I'm inviting myself over. But you really do order me around a lot. You could be a little nicer, you know," he said imperiously.

No, I really don't think I will ever understand him. That would make me mad, if I wasn't so confused.

I silently started the car and began driving, with no real destination in mind. "So, where do you want to go?" I asked him. He glanced at me curiously as he absently ran his slender fingers through his hair. I felt that strange desire to touch it again.

"Don't you have anything planned?" Yami asked.

"Not really. We can just go home for a while, if you want; I told Mokuba I'd take him somewhere this afternoon."

"Can I come, too?" Yami pleaded.

"Don't be an idiot; I came to get you for a reason," I snapped. A smirk spread across his face and he observed me coolly with his ruby eyes.

"Really? And what would that be?" he asked knowingly.

I cursed myself mentally. Wow, I really talked myself into a corner with that last comment. I'm still not admitting anything.

"Well?" he pressed, after a moment of embarrassed silence (at least on my part). "Seto? Is it maybe because we're _friends_?" Yami teased.

"Maybe," I finally muttered, and he laughed softly.

"Now we're getting somewhere."

* * *

**A/N: **Hmm, Yami seems kind of needy, doesn't he? But he keeps asking Seto if they're friends because he's lonely- and he really wants Seto to care about him. At least, that's what I was going for; plus it's funny to tease Seto about friendship because he gets so flustered. (snickers)

**Reviewer Responses**: As always, thank you all so much for reviewing; it makes me so happy to know that people like this story.

_Phoenix87_: Thanks for the review; and of course I'll continue. I wouldn't abandon the fic before they even get together- that's just cruel! lol

_Kawaii Chibi Yami:_ Oh, okay! That makes me feel a little better. Thanks for your review, and I hope you liked this chapter.

_Inith_: Gracias para tu review. No te procupes sobre tu ingles- puedes escribir tus reviews en espanol si prefieres, porque yo lo hablo.

_shadows of chaos61_: Yeah, I know, Seto is TOO stubborn! But that's one of the reasons he's so fun to write. I love it when he gets jealous, too- that was one of my favorite scenes in this story.

* * *

Well, I'm sad to say, we're coming close to the end of this fic. There's only one more chapter and the epilogue- I'll post Chapter 5 on Monday, and probably next Thursday I'll post the epilogue as well as an inside look on the story; explaining a few things you might not have picked up on. Fun!


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, I'm updating a day early because I've...um, suddenly become a lot more popular. Somebody even threatened me with violence. (gulps) Seriously, what's wrong with you people?

Just kidding. I love your reviews; they make me so happy!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Now on with the chapter; it's the one you've all been waiting for! (cheers)

* * *

Chapter 5

That afternoon I took Mokuba and Yami to the movies. I don't even know what we watched; I didn't care. Mokuba picked it. After buying enough candy to put a good-sized dent in my wallet (as well as a good-sized cavity in his mouth), Mokuba dragged me behind him into the dark theater just as the previews started. Yami followed at my heels, snickering under his breath at Mokuba's antics.

"You spoil him terribly. It's so cute," Yami whispered in my ear as he sat beside me, and his hair tickled my cheek.

"I do NOT," I protested loudly, and Mokuba shushed me. Yami just grinned and turned his attention to the movie screen.

I turned my attention to Yami. He watched the previews with some semblance of interest, smiling at various jokes, and the tiny dimple appeared and vanished periodically as I continued observing him in fascination, thankful for the darkness. What was it about Yami that I just couldn't leave alone? I'd had plenty of chances to get rid of him, and I certainly didn't have to take him with me to the movies today... Were we really friends? Was that it?

I honestly wouldn't know.

Eventually I tore my attention from Yami and watched the movie for a little while; although I didn't care much for movies, I enjoyed watching them so that I could scrutinize the special effects (and inevitably determine how I would improve them). So, I vaguely enjoyed the film- at least until I heard Yami yawn softly. Immediately I glanced back at the crimson-eyed creature beside me. He blinked slowly and his head drooped, and his long blond bangs hung over one eye- the farther one from me. An irresistible urge to brush back those soft bangs came over me, and I stealthily slipped my arm behind Yami and reached for his hair.

When Yami felt my arm against his shoulders he lifted his head and smiled at me; and scooted closer so that he snuggled against my side. I flushed in embarrassment- did Yami think I was trying to put my arm around him? I just wanted to touch his hair... His hair. Right. I finally slid my fingers through those soft bangs and smoothed them back on his forehead. Yami sighed contentedly and rested his head on my shoulder.

Uh oh. I think I gave him the wrong idea. I should really pull my arm away...or I could just keep touching his hair.

I stroked his wild hair, marveling at its fine, smooth texture, and Yami closed his eyes and made a tiny noise of happiness at my ministrations. Eventually, I let my fingers slip from his hair, deciding I had caused enough trouble in my already confusing relationship (if that was even the right word) with Yami; but before I pulled my arm away from his shoulders I happened to glance at his face. Yami's eyes still were shut and he rested his pale cheek softly against my shoulder. A perfect, blissful smile lit up his thin features.

I left my arm around him.

* * *

As soon as the movie ended I quickly let go of Yami and pushed him a respectable distance away from me. He rolled his eyes but didn't comment; for which I was incredibly grateful. Mokuba hopped out of his seat, immediately chattering happily about the movie, and caught at my hand to drag me from the theater; but amid the press of people clambering to the exits another hand slipped into mine.

Yami stood beside me, glancing at me furtively through the corners of his crimson eyes, and a flush spread over his cheeks as he cautiously gripped my fingers. I froze. "Seto, what are you doing?" Mokuba sighed impatiently, and yanked me forward, pulling me from Yami's grasp.

I have never been so grateful to my little brother.

Silently I strode to the car with Mokuba beside me, rambling about the movie's special effects. I smiled at my brother's unconscious similarity to me and unlocked the doors. Mokuba clambered into the backseat and I slid behind the steering wheel, but when Yami slipped into the passenger's seat beside me my breath hitched. He had pulled off his denim jacket to reveal the tight sleeveless shirt beneath, which accentuated his small, lithe frame. Yami shot me a tiny smile and I whipped my head back to the windshield before me.

I could feel Yami's gaze on me as I drove home. I paid extra close attention to the road.

* * *

By the time we got back to the house, it was close to 9:00; so I told Mokuba to go upstairs and get ready for bed, which he did, pouting the entire way. I laughed to myself as I watched him stomp up the stairs, until I felt a soft grip on my elbow. With a sinking heart, I turned my head to see Yami holding my arm. He probably wanted to talk about what happened at the movies...

As soon as Yami realized he had my attention, he released my arm and stepped back, blushing slightly. "Er... You never told me where my room was. I'm a little tired, and I'd like to go to bed now," was all he said.

"Oh... Well, my room is the first one on the left upstairs, and Mokuba's is right across from it. You can have any other room you want," I replied, feeling inexplicably disappointed. He nodded and gave me a quick smile.

"Thanks. Good night, Seto," Yami said softly. He took a step toward me and I thought for a second he was going to kiss my cheek again, but he just moved past me and glided calmly up the staircase. I frowned.

"Yami, wait!" I called, and he paused halfway up the stairs. For a moment I stood there, trying to think of something to say, but nothing came to mind. After a long silence Yami finally sighed and started up the stairs again. "No, wait!" I cried once more, and ran upstairs after him.

"What is it, Seto?" he asked patiently.

I still couldn't think of anything to say.

Yami groaned in exasperation at my prolonged silence. He raised a hand and patted my cheek gently, and gave me a slight grin. "You're crazy," he said indulgently, and stood on his tiptoes to softly kiss my cheek. "Good night, then," Yami added.

"Good night, Yami," I mumbled, and grinned as I watched him walk away.

I think I got what I wanted.

* * *

That night found me pacing my bedroom floor anxiously. What _did_ I want from Yami? What did he want from me? I'd already admitted to myself that something about the wild being had drawn me in; drawn me so tightly that I could never escape from his clutches. At first, I'd just thought I owed him something- a life-debt that I could never really repay; but Yami adamantly claimed that he wanted to be my friend- that we _were_ friends.

I never really had friends, but I don't think this is how friendship usually works. Maybe I should ask Anzu, since she seems to be the authority on the subject.

When Yami rested his head on my shoulder, he just seemed so happy, so content... It was almost like he'd been waiting for something like that to happen. And I made a complete fool of myself just to get him to kiss me on the cheek- a stupid, annoying gesture that I _should_ be trying to avoid. I guess we were both crazy.

The important question was what happened next. Deep down I knew what I really wanted to happen; what was inevitable.

But that didn't mean I had to admit it.

* * *

"Good morning, Seto!" Mokuba chirped. I nodded curtly at him over my third cup of coffee. It had been a sleepless night. "Are you taking me to school again today?" he asked.

"I suppose; if you want me to," I answered, yawning.

"Of course I do! But it's alright with me if you'd rather stay here with Yami," Mokuba replied.

I scowled at the mention of the instigator of my insomnia. "No, I'll take you to school. Yami will be fine here by himself."

"Okay, let's go then; I'm running late," Mokuba told me, grabbing my arm before I could ingest the last of my coffee. I started to protest and reach for my coffee cup when a soft yawn distracted me.

Yami stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes. He wore loose cotton pants and a white undershirt, and his face had red marks from the pillows. His typically spiky hair had an adorably ruffled quality after a night's sleep. "Good (yawn) morning, Seto, Mokuba," he mumbled. I just stared at him.

"Never mind, I'll just get the driver to take me to school in the limo, since Yami's up," Mokuba told me. I nodded dumbly, still watching Yami's slender form as he poured himself a glass of orange juice. I never even noticed when my brother disappeared.

Yami sipped his orange juice and settled tiredly into the chair beside me. "I don't know why I'm so sleepy; I went to bed early," he mumbled. Despite my own sleepless night, I suddenly felt wide awake and alert. It must have been the coffee.

"Maybe you should go back to bed for a while," I offered, finally tearing my eyes away from Yami long enough to fix another cup of coffee.

"No, I'll wake up in a minute," Yami answered. He watched distastefully as I gulped black coffee. "How do you drink that stuff? I can't handle coffee even when it's drowned in sugar," he commented.

"Oh really? Do you at least like the smell?" I grinned, holding the cup teasingly under his nose. He giggled and swatted at my arm.

"Stop that! It's okay, I guess, but...HEY!" I had swiped his glass of juice and replaced it with my coffee cup. "I was going to drink that!" he cried.

"Drink what?" I asked playfully, hiding his glass behind my back. Yami reached for it, but I moved it just out of his reach; so he climbed from his chair and leaned over me, stretching for the glass. He propped one hand on my elbow and stretched his lithe torso over me, close enough for me to smell the slight aroma of sweat on his skin. I accidentally dropped the glass.

"Kaiba! You did that on purpose!" Yami groaned. "Now I'll have to fix another one."

"Sorry; I really didn't mean to drop it. Really," I apologized, flummoxed by my own clumsiness.

"Yeah, sure," Yami grumbled, scowling at me. He opened the refrigerator and bent over to find the orange juice, and I found myself staring in fascination at his...

Kaiba, you are _really_ in trouble.

* * *

Yami disappeared upstairs to change his clothes and I buried my face in my hands. This was not happening. I had become a complete idiot after my proud ex-rival had been in my home for less than a day. Shaking off my tumultuous thoughts (or maybe hormones) I rose swiftly to my feet and climbed the stairs to the room where Yami had spent the night. There was a simple solution to this, after all- I'd just make him go home.

He pulled the door open just as I lifted my hand to knock on it, and immediately my resolve crumbled. Yami wore his black outfit again- black leather pants and a form-fitting black shirt –with his denim jacket over all. The thought crossed my mind that those clothes shouldn't match, but it made no difference.

He was gorgeous.

"Oh, hi Seto; I was just going to look for you. Do you want me to go home now?" Yami asked. There- the opportunity I'd been waiting for. Just nod your head, Kaiba.

"NO!" I shouted vehemently.

We both blinked. "Er... Alright, then," Yami said warily. "I guess I'll just watch television or something, unless you want to go somewhere."

"Let's...Let's go to the park. We could use some fresh air," I responded quickly. Yami smiled softly and nodded his head.

"Sure, that sounds great," he said. "Just let me get my..."

"I'll get it for you!" I cried.

"...shoes on," he finished, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh," I muttered, flushing. Yami stood on his tiptoes and kissed my cheek quickly before disappearing back in his room.

"Thanks anyway, though," he told me with a little grin. I beamed.

As soon as he was out of sight my smile turned into a deep scowl, and I stomped down the stairs, grumbling to myself. That hadn't gone exactly as planned. Well, I could just take him home after we left the park; we'd be in the car anyway, and it would be easy to just drop him off at the game shop...

Or maybe it wouldn't, considering how crazy I was acting.

Yami suddenly appeared at my elbow and tapped me on the shoulder, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. "Sorry... Are you ready to leave?" he asked hesitantly.

I grinned predatorily and wrapped my arm around his waist. "You? Never," I responded playfully, and a blush crept over his cheeks. I suddenly blushed as well and we headed to the car, not looking at each other.

* * *

Even though I'd thought of it at the spur of the moment, the park happened to be beautiful that day. Clouds scudded across the amethyst sky; sending dancing shadows across the fading green of the autumn grass, and a swift breeze sent brightly-colored leaves whirling in aimless circles overhead.

I really didn't care. But then again, it made Yami happy, so I cared quite a bit.

"Let's sit down for a minute," Yami suggested, pointing toward a bench overlooking a swift-running creek. I waited until he sat, and then seated myself beside him as closely as I dared.

Yami paid no attention to me; instead he watched the rippling water in the creek bed. Heart thudding, I stealthily raised an arm, intending to slip it around his shoulders, but he turned to me and I quickly lowered my arm again. "This was a really good idea, Seto. Thanks for bringing me," Yami told me with a brilliant smile.

"You're wel..." I broke off in surprise when Yami scooted a little closer and rested his head on my shoulder. He lifted his crimson eyes to my face, watching apprehensively for my reaction. I just smirked and wrapped my arm around him, and we sat for a long time in peaceful silence.

* * *

"Yami? What are you doing?" a voice behind us gasped and we broke apart. I glanced behind me, expecting to see Yugi-tachi, but instead met the most unwelcome sight of my eventful eighteen years of life.

Isis. And Malik.

Isis was the one who had spoken, and she stared disbelievingly at Yami with tears in her big cow eyes. Malik smirked at the two of us, crossing his arms over his purple belly shirt and raising his eyebrow. "Hi there, Seto, love. I thought you didn't swing that way," he purred.

I scowled. "I told you to stay away from me."

"Can't help it. You're too perfect to admire from a distance- isn't that right, Pharaoh?" Malik teased, and Yami blushed adorably.

At Yami's blush, the tears fell from Isis's eyes and she wailed. "Yami, I thought we had something special! How could you throw it all away for _him_?" she cried. Yami just watched her helplessly, unsure of how to deal with the crazy, obsessive woman. I couldn't really blame him.

"So, how long have you two been a couple?" Malik asked conversationally as Isis sobbed, and Yami and I glared at him. He ignored our expressions. "Is it exclusive, then, or do I still have a chance?" he added with a wink.

"You _never_ had a chance," I grumbled. Despite my annoyance, I was beginning to feel nervous and a little embarrassed. I hadn't even said anything to Yami yet, and these two psychos were ruining our relationship before it could begin.

Wait- what? I didn't want a relationship with Yami...did I?

I stood swiftly and glared at the two Egyptians from my impressive height. "You two are complete fools. I don't care if I run into you everywhere I go- just don't talk to me again. Or Yami," I added as an afterthought. Yami watched me in surprise from his position on the bench, and I held out a hand to him, which he took hesitantly.

We walked away hand-in-hand, leaving Isis and Malik staring after us in wonder.

* * *

That afternoon, I devised a plan.

First, I convinced Yugi to let Mokuba to stay the night with him at the college, and Mokuba was thrilled at the chance to stay in a real college dorm with his friends. I almost felt like I was doing him a favor. After I dropped him off, I stopped by a florist's and bought a huge bouquet of sunflowers. I thought flowers were a little too much, but I knew he would like them, so I bought them anyway. Then I called three different restaurants and made reservations (I liked to keep my options open) before I finally returned home.

I found him watching television in the living room. He leaned against the sofa cushions lazily, with his arms crossed casually across his chest. His bangs drooped over his eyes again, and he had removed the denim jacket, so I could see his small, thin form perfectly.

"Uh... Hi," I muttered stupidly.

"Hey... Where's Mokuba?" Yami asked, glancing casually at me. Then he noticed the bouquet and his brow furrowed. "Who gave you flowers?"

"Staying with a friend, and nobody. They're for you," I answered, holding out the sunflowers.

He took them, beaming. "Really? I love sunflowers- they're so different from all the other flowers, you know? Their ugly, dark seeds take up almost the whole plant, and they would almost make the poor things really depressing, if it weren't for the bright petals..."

I watched him, half-listening to his ramblings, as he examined the flowers. His crimson eyes sparkled happily and he absently brushed away the hair from his forehead with his slender fingers. Suddenly I was aware of a heavy silence, and Yami gazed at me curiously. "Seto? Were you listening? I guess I was rambling..."

"Would you like to come to dinner with me?" I blurted.

He blinked in surprise, and silence reigned once more. Not exactly the reaction I was hoping for. Then again, I hadn't asked quite the way I'd planned, either.

"Okay," he finally replied in a small voice. We both reddened.

"Well, you have time to change if you want...not that you don't look nice now," I stuttered stupidly. "I mean; we might go somewhere nice, so if you want to look...I don't know...nicer..."

He laughed cheerily and the awkward moment broke. "It's okay, Seto. Just give me half an hour or so," Yami said. I nodded and he hurried up the stairs, carrying the flowers with him.

* * *

As soon as Yami vanished from sight, I resumed my new hobby of pacing the carpet, counting my steps while I contemplated my actions. I'd gone too far with Yami to really change my mind, before I'd even let myself admit what I wanted. Most likely, that was the only reason anything had happened in the first place, since even I knew of my notoriety for denial. But even I couldn't deny what was happening now; I'd asked him on a _date_.

At least, I thought it was a date. What Yami thought remained to be seen.

"Hi... I'm ready if you are," Yami said softly, suddenly appearing at the top of the staircase. I watched him descend, holding my breath- Yami was so beautiful; so exotic. He wore a short-sleeved red shirt, made of some silky material the same shade as his eyes, and black pants (not leather this time) with matching boots that made him an inch or two taller.

"You look...really nice," I told him. I tried not to stare.

Yami blushed and dipped his proud head in an adorably uncertain gesture, and I led him to the car by the small of his back. Tonight I drove a silver BMW that Yami hadn't seen before. It was amusing watching him turn his head in all directions to examine the luxury car- for someone supposedly from ancient Egypt, Yami had a surprising fascination with technology; it almost rivaled my own.

"This car is great, Seto; why don't you ever drive it?" Yami asked curiously. I shrugged, and we conversed casually about cars until we arrived at the restaurant.

I had decided to take Yami to an Italian restaurant, one that I particularly liked, though it wasn't the fanciest place in town. Yami would probably feel more comfortable there, anyway. We found a parking spot as near to the restaurant as possible (though still not very close- this place was popular) and Yami climbed from the car quickly, tilting his head back to examine the few stars apparent in the twilight.

I walked up and slipped an arm around his waist as he stood there, and he inhaled sharply, but he didn't pull away; instead he just examined my face for a moment and smiled brilliantly. An answering smile dawned on my own face, and we stared at each other for a long moment. "We should really go inside," Yami said eventually.

I made a small noise of agreement but made no move to leave, instead continuing to watch him. Yami reddened under my continued gaze and shifted uncomfortably against my arms. When had my other arm crept around his waist? He lifted a slim hand and hesitantly brushed the thick bangs from my eyes. "Seto..." he murmured uncertainly. "We should..."

My resolve broke. I don't know what it was; maybe his hand in my hair, or the way he whispered my name, or maybe just the feel of his body in my arms. But whatever it was, I couldn't stand it anymore.

I kissed him.

Interrupting his sentence and taking him completely by surprise, I kissed the proud, wild being in my arms and drew him close against me. Yami gasped in shock but I just held him tightly and pressed my lips against his, until he slowly relaxed and began to respond. He slipped his hands up my chest and slid them around my neck, and rested against me on his tiptoes as he craned his neck to reach my lips. I tilted my head a bit lower, taking pity on the short little figure.

Yami was the one who deepened the kiss. He pulled my bottom lip between his teeth and I opened my mouth automatically; then he plunged his tongue inside teasingly. The moment he did, however, my lips tingled strangely and I had to pull away, rubbing my mouth. "What was that?" I gasped.

"I don't know; I felt it too," Yami frowned. "Maybe it's..."

Yami broke off, clutching his chest. "What's wrong?" I asked, panicking. "Are you alright?" I gently grasped his shoulders, but he just kept clutching at his chest. "Yami, WHAT IS IT?" I cried. My heart thudded in horrible fear.

"It...it burns," Yami responded weakly and fell to his knees. "My...the tattoo," he continued, as I knelt beside him. "Something's happening to it." He rested his head against my shoulder, panting, and I barely restrained my panic, for Yami's sake. Was this the end of the spell? Would he turn back into a spirit, and be lost to me forever?

"No... You can't leave me now," I pleaded desperately. "Yami, you can't! I...I think I...I love you!"

"What?" he gasped, lifting his head. "You love me? Really?"

I blushed, embarrassment suddenly overriding my panic. "I hadn't really thought about it before, but I guess I do," I muttered. The jerk laughed at me. "I love you too," he whispered, and kissed me softly. Almost immediately he pulled away. "Seto, it stopped burning," he said in relief. Yami lifted his shirt to examine the tattoo and we both stared in surprise at what we saw. In the center of the Puzzle, a new shape had been etched, replacing the Egyptian eye. The new shape was a Duel Monsters card, bold and prominent against the lines of the Puzzle.

The Devil's Sanctuary.

"Yami, what is _that_? What happened?" I gasped.

He stared at the new tattoo for a moment before an incredulous smile dawned across his face. "Isis was right, I think. The only way for me to really accept my equal was for us to be together," he murmured in wonder. "And I was right from the beginning; it WAS you," he added.

I shook my head slowly. "No... Yami, I'm _not_. I could never be your equal," I muttered, watching the ground.

Yami took my face in his hands and drew me into a long, lingering kiss. When he finally pulled away, he smiled and said, "No, you're not my equal. You're much, much more than that." Then he dropped another chaste kiss against my already swollen lips. "I love you so much," he whispered. In spite of my amazement, shock, and discomfiture, I could feel a lovestruck grin spread across my face.

"Let's not get mushy," I grumbled.

* * *

**A/N**: Okay... Why did I write their big romantic scene in a _parking lot_? (snickers) I guess they were just too impatient to wait until they got in the restaurant. Anyway, for all practical purposes this is the end, but really, it's not! We still have the epilogue- a romantic interlude between Yami & Seto a month later. Plus, I'll give you all an inside look at the story, and reveal some of the hints and things that you probably didn't pick up on. That will be included with the epilogue.

**Reviewer Responses**: Now it's time for my favorite part of the chapter (and everyone else's least favorite part...lol); my thank-yous and replies to reviewers!

_Lomelindi_: Um...thanks. You make me blush... (blushes) See? Thanks for adding me to your faves; but what's C2? Do I have to do anything? I'm still new, so I don't really know about all that stuff yet.

_Katarzyna K Yue_: Okay, okay, here's an update! Sheesh, calm down! J/K. Thanks for the review.

_orlis-gal48(2_: Yep, I'm an English major. That means I read and write all the time; and in my spare time I read...and write...fanfic... Okay, I guess I'm insane.

_SLJade_: Seto and Yami are _always_ adorable! (hugs them) Thankies!

_Storm Dragon Girl_: Thanks! I'm glad you think it's funny; it seemed a little angsty to me at first, but the humor inevitably crept in. Oh, well, I like it better that way.

_ChibiHarika_: Everybody seemed to like it when Yami pretended to be Malik! I guess I can see why; he was so adorable...Why didn't Seto just kiss him right then? I know I would have! lol

_shadowwaker_: Lol, your running commentary on my story was great; it was so funny! You made my day. Thanks a bunch.

_Kawaii Chibi Yami_: Um...remember when I upped the rating for "sexual innuendo?" When Malik was asking how big Seto's "motorcycles" were, he was being...well...perverted. (blushes) But I'm glad you thought it was cute.

_Phoenix87:_ Gosh, why didn't I think of that? It would have been funny to see Yami get jealous! lol

_Ashley_: Thanks, and here's an update for you!

_shadows of chaos61_: Another good idea! But I think Seto would probably avoid motorcycles for a while after that...

* * *

Whew! That was long. But like I said; I've apparently gotten more popular. I'm happy...but a little surprised. lol

Okay, review! Please!


	6. Epilogue

The epilogue is here! Spellbound is finally complete! (cheers)

* * *

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter:

_Storm Dragon Girl_: Mushy indeed! But mushiness is fun... lol

_Ashly_: Thanks, I love this story too. I'm so sad that it's over.

_Anneirda Nikaru_: You think I'm an amazing writer? I can feel my head swelling already...

_Phoenix87_: Yeah, I had Seto blurting things out like crazy, huh? I just think he would act like that because for one he's still fighting with himself, and he really doesn't know what to do in that kind of a relationship. Plus it's cute.

_Inith_: Me encanta la escena final, tambien. Y cuando Yami admite la igualdad con Bakura, tengo mucho orgulloso para Yami! Incluso si no es la solucion...

_Lady Yevon_: Thanks! Here's the epilogue for you!

_Kawaii Chibi Yami_: Oh, it would be so great if Anzu caught them kissing! But I've already gotten bad reviews three times for being mean to her, so I have to tone it down a bit... (sniff)

_Chibi Harika:_ I love Seto's last line too; it just seems like something he would say. Well, I think so, anyway.

Thanks to everyone else who reviewed this story, and special thanks to Lomelindi for trying to get me more reviews. I love you all! Now on with the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Chapter 6: Epilogue

_One month later_

Wearily I trudged through the front door and closed it softly behind me, too tired to even muster a frustrated slam. A problem had arisen at Kaiba Land this afternoon, and all of my technicians were too idiotic to fix it on their own, so I'd spent until the wee hours of the morning doing all the work myself. Sometimes I wondered why I even bothered to hire anyone, since all my employees did was make more work for me- and that's when they _weren't_ trying to take over my company.

Plus, tonight they had ruined my plans.

I walked through the living room toward the stairs, only to find the major part of these plans asleep on the couch, wearing one of his most..._stimulating_ leather outfits, and I felt a pang of guilt. Sighing, I silently observed Yami's even breathing and smiled at his snuffling snores. His nose wrinkled so adorably when he did that.

I frowned slightly to myself; ever since Yami and I had been together, I'd gotten so much more _sentimental_- it was a little embarrassing. But then, who could help being sentimental when they had someone like this? I leaned over Yami's sleeping form and kissed his soft lips, relishing the warmth of his mouth against mine.

Yami's eyes fluttered open. "It's about time you got home," he said croakily. I leaned in and captured his lips again; I hadn't meant to wake him, but I might as well take advantage of the situation.

He wrapped his arms around my neck, fisting his hands in my hair as our tongues slid against each other in a wild rhythm, and I moaned blissfully into his mouth. Reluctantly I pulled away for air, only to begin trailing kisses along his throat and collarbone. "I love you," I whispered against his neck.

"I love you, too, of course, even though you work too much," Yami responded teasingly. "I might just have to let Malik have you if you keep that up!"

I broke away from his throat and gave him an annoyed scowl. "You'd better be joking," I sulked, and Yami burst out laughing at my expression.

"When will you learn to take a joke?" he snickered. "Oh, speaking of Malik, Yugi told me yesterday that Ryou and Malik actually did get together...since they're both living...in...Egypt...isn't it strange, because you said once... Stop, Seto, I'm trying to tell you something!"

I had gone back to sucking on Yami's collarbone, moving my mouth just often enough so that Yami wouldn't have a hickey, and needless to say, Yami was a little distracted by my actions.

Not that I cared.

Yami gave up trying to talk to me and began using his mouth for other, more useful purposes. He slid his hands under my shirt, rubbing chilling patterns along my warm torso with his icy fingers, and I gasped. Yami smirked and let his lips follow his fingers' path, causing me to moan in wonder.

Suddenly I grabbed his hands, halting their movement, and used Yami's own seductive tricks on him. When I slipped his shirt over his head, running the pads of my thumbs along his smooth skin, he shivered and matched my moan with a throaty sound of his own.

I captured his lips in one more passionate kiss, and we began moving together as one, in a jumble of hands and heat and soft skin. A whispered "I love you," rang in my ears, and I wasn't sure which one of us uttered the words, but they echoed through my whole being as I gazed at Yami's flushed face below me.

Then, somehow we rolled so that I lay flat on my back across the couch cushions, with Yami's fevered smirk hovering just above my face. "You didn't think I'd make it that easy on you, did you Kaiba?" he whispered huskily. I gave him an answering smirk and rolled again, so that we ended up on the carpet, and I pinned Yami's hands to his sides as I straddled his hips.

"Did you think I'd make things that easy on _you_?" I teased. I released my hold on him, only to shower him with soft touches that caused him to moan in ecstasy, and he responded in kind; his every move sending shivers of electricity coursing through me. Eventually the two of us were left shaking and quivering, and Yami rested his head in the crook of my shoulder and closed his eyes.

I propped my chin on the top of his head and let my own eyes droop shut as I drew him close into my chest. His breathing slowly evened as he drifted into a light doze, and automatically my lungs breathed in time with the beautiful creature I held against me. Chest to chest, our heartbeats pounded in a perfect, rhythmic pattern; and I had almost fallen asleep as well when a brief thought crossed my mind.

Maybe we really were equals, after all.

* * *

**A/N**: And we end on a fluffy note! It's about time Seto admitted it... Well, as promised, here are some of _Spellbound's_ secrets revealed. Maybe you've already picked up on them, and I suppose if I were a really good writer I would let you figure things out for yourselves and not give everything away; but I don't care because I like to talk about it anyway. lol

**The Devil's Sanctuary**: One thing you might have wondered about is why this card appeared on Yami's chest, instead of the BEWD, which usually represents Seto. The reason I picked this card is because I wanted it to represent their relationship, not Seto himself; since a relationship with Seto is what Yami needed to break the spell. I dropped _major_ hints on this all throughout the story, but I think they were subtle enough that no one really guessed what was going on. As you can see, the Devil's Sanctuary appears at every stage of Seto and Yami's relationship- when they first meet again, when Yami tells Seto that Seto was his friend (even though they _were_ fighting at the time), at their first kiss (the one on the cheek), and finally, when they confess their love.

**Burning Kisses**: Heh, and you thought Seto's cheek burned just because he was attracted to Yami! At the end of the story, it's obvious that the spell is being lifted when Seto and Yami kiss and their lips start tingling. But then, why does Seto's cheek tingle when Yami kisses him the first time, and when Yami touches his cheek outside Bakura's apartment? Well, essentially...because Yami is coming on to him. Yami is the one who needs to "accept his equal," (i.e.; be with Seto) so every time he touches Seto with romantic thoughts, it sort of... dissolves a little of the spell. That's why he hadn't already turned back into a spirit- because he kissed Seto on the cheek.

This might have been harder to figure out, though, because it didn't happen _every_ time Yami touched him- just when Yami was thinking romantically (sometimes when Yami kissed Seto's cheek, he was just being the touchy-feely person I made him in this fic...lol) AND when he was the instigator. Nothing happened at the movies because Seto was the one who started the flirting, regardless of what Seto claimed.

**Isis's Explanation**: Did Isis really know how to break the spell, or was she just making a move on Yami and happen to be right? I guess we'll never know... although it would make sense for Isis to actually know, since Bakura's spell was probably an ancient Egyptian one. But, I'll let you draw your own conclusions about that. 

* * *

Well, those are the major issues, but if you guys think of any other questions, feel free to email me. Now that you have all the spoilers, maybe you can go back and read it again to see if you can pick up the hints. If you want to, that is... 

Oh, and do you want me to start posting another fic right away? I have one going , "Chef Yami," that's not really serious (though it seems to be surprisingly popular) but I also have a bunch of other stories waiting to be posted, so if anyone wants I can post a more serious fic simultaneously with the other one- or I can just wait until that one's up to start another. I don't care, whatever you guys want.

Thanks again! Hope you liked this story!


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